All the Devils' hottest news, from notes to numbers to neutral-zone traps

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Devils left wing Eric Boulton said he was “very surprised” when general manager Lou Lamoriello informed him before today’s practice that he had been placed on waivers.

Boulton wouldn’t get into what Lamoriello said during their conversation, but admitted he’s disappointed.

“I feel like I’m a big part of this team on the ice and in the locker room,” he said. “I think all the players know that and I think I definitely contribute.”

Because Boulton, 35, was placed on waivers on a Saturday, teams have until noon on Monday to put in a claim for him. Lamoriello said a player on a one-way contract must clear waivers before Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline to eligible to be sent down to the AHL after that and he wanted to keep that option open with Boulton.

“We did this to give us the option to send him down should he not be playing a lot, so he can get quality ice time down there (in Albany),” Lamoriello said.

The plan right now is to keep Boulton on the NHL roster if he clears waivers. If he were to be sent down, he would have to clear re-entry waivers to be called back up. Although Boulton has another season left on his contract after this one (with a salary of $750,000 and cap hit of $662,500), Lamoriello said he would not hesitate to put Boulton on re-entry waivers to call him up.

If another team would claim Boulton off re-entry waivers, the Devils would have to pay half of his remaining salary and be responsible for half his salary cap. Any player claimed off re-entry waivers after the trade deadline would not be eligible to play for his new team until next season, though.

When I asked Lamoriello if placing Boulton on waivers was being done in any way for financial reasons, he replied, "absolutely not."

Boulton has no points and 76 penalty minutes, playing 6:47 per game, in 36 games this season. He said he had “a good conversation” with head coach Pete DeBoer about being placed on waivers.

“He told me not to worry about it, I’m on the team and whatnot,” Boulton said. “Obviously, it’s disappointing to be on waivers, but, hopefully, it doesn’t change anything here and, hopefully, I’ll play the rest of the year.”

***

Rookie defenseman Adam Larsson said he “feels good” after today’s practice and hopes to play in Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. Larsson has missed the last 10 games with a bruised lower back.

“We’ll see what Pete and those guys say,” he said. “I’ve been skating now for a week, so the last four days I’ve felt good. It feels like I’m in pretty good shape.”

DeBoer said he’d made a decision on Larsson in the morning after they see how his body responds to today’s practice, but said “there’s a chance” he’ll play against the Lightning.

Larsson did some individual drills with assistant coach Larry Robinson after the end of the main part of practice today and was moving very well. He said his back did not give him any problems.

“It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “It’s just a little stiff at the start of the practice, but when I’m warm and everything it’s fine.”

***

Backup goaltender Johan Hedberg said, to his knowledge, he is not scheduled to start Sunday or in Monday’s game against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. If Martin Brodeur starts both games it would be the first time this season he will play on consecutive days.

DeBoer would not discuss his goaltending plan for the next two games.

“We’ve talked in generalities,” he said. “We’re definitely going to have to get Hedberg some games both to keep two guys sharp, but also to give Marty the appropriate rest. We have a very tough month coming up here.”

***Lamoriello said "everything is status quo. meaning nothing has changed" with the recoveries of Travis Zajac (sore left Achilles tendon) and Henrik Tallinder (blood clot in left leg).. Tallinder has been skating lightly. Zajac resumed skating lightly on Thursday.

About

TOM GULITTI has covered the New Jersey Devils for The Record since 2002. Prior to that, he covered the New York Rangers for four years. Gulitti joined The Record in 1998 after six years at The North Jersey Herald News. He graduated from Binghamton University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric-Literature.